


Nights alone

by Hurggle



Category: One Piece
Genre: Gen, M/M, Mentions of marriage, Multi, which luffy doesn't really understand
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-14
Updated: 2020-12-14
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:00:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28062825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hurggle/pseuds/Hurggle
Summary: Luffy hates being alone. so two years without his crew is hard, especially when it comes to sleeping. it reminds rayleigh of a certain someone.other ships mentioned are Zoro/Sanji,  Gol d. Roger/Portgas d. Rouge,  Rayleigh/Shakky
Relationships: Gol D. Roger/Silvers Rayleigh, Monkey D. Luffy & Silvers Rayleigh
Comments: 4
Kudos: 29





	Nights alone

**Author's Note:**

> I don't write that much fiction but One Piece has been one hell of a muse, I hate that it's taken so long for me to get into it.

Luffy had been here for over a year so far, fighting, training, thinking. His haki was improving and suddenly a lot of unexplained things were making sense.  
Rayleigh had come back after a few weeks away needing to run an errand. Luffy’s growth was as impressive as he had predicted, there was a noticeably different air when he had returned. He was stronger and calmer, the confidence that had been shaken at Marineford had steadied itself.

He had spent the day assessing Luffy’s progress on armament and had found a more serious student. Eagerly absorbing every bit of information, or trying his best to understand. However, as soon as they sat to share a meal it was back to the same cheerful but dangerous kid he first met. It brought a smile to his face to be caught up in such enthusiastic energy. The brat even had the guts to steal his last piece of meat off his plate. He would make him sorry for that tomorrow but for now he rayleigh let it slide giving him just a moment of respite as a reward for making it this far.

They had settled in for the night. The fire had been doused by rain and the coals sizzled as the island went through its parabolic weather. “Hey Rayleigh” the exhaustion was clear in his voice, but it was obvious he just missed talking to people. Whatever he was going to ask trailed off, but it was easy enough to figure out.

“You miss them don’t you...that's what you wanted to say” Rayleigh turned looking at where the young man was staring up at the tree that was sheltering them from the rain.

“Yeah…” it was a weak and sad agreement. If Luffy was honest he felt guilty for it. He was here to get stronger and thinking like this made him feel weak. He should be able to trust them enough to be at ease without them.

“Just try to sleep, ok.” Luffy let out a sound of agreement turning to the side. Rayleigh watched his back as he tossed and turned, shifting and moving, trying to will himself to sleep, brimming with restless energy. Well, that wasn’t going to work. It was having the added effect of keeping Rayleigh awake as well. The boy rolled to one side. Then he would roll to the other. Then back. It was driving him crazy. Swimming the calm belt is not getting easier with age so he was looking forward to a whole night’s rest. “Luffy” rayleigh voice warned, “settle.” 

“I’m trying-” whatever else he was saying was buried in his arm before his frustration boiled over resulting in him kicking around in his cloak. Rayleigh stared at him in anger and bewilderment ready to order him to go burn off some energy with more drills. Luffy’s face was red and his eyes were wet glistening in the moonlight and his hair was a mess from where he had been running his hands through it.  
Something clicked, and Rayleigh moved patting the covered ground beside him. “Come here.” it was a gentle command and Luffy did as he was told and flopped beside him. 

Luffy felt a thick arm fall across his chest pulling him against rayleigh. he was warm and the current humidity made their skin stick. His muscles made him think about Zoro which made Luffy laugh to himself “Now calm down...I’m here”

Rayleigh's deep voice rumbled behind him. the effect was almost instant, Luffy fell limp beside him, breath deepening and becoming steady. “I hate being alone” he sounded defeated. He was so used to sleeping with others even in childhood after Ace left... a rush of painful memories started to flood his mind.

“Nights are the hardest aren’t they?” Rayleigh felt hair rustle at his chin as Luffy nodded. Absent-mindedly Rayleigh slowly stroked his thumb along the lines of where the hole in his chest had been. That Trafalgar kid had done a good job. This whole younger generation was strange, filled with hidden motives, things seemed so much simpler back in his day.  
“You remind me so much of him sometimes” rayleigh chuckled in a longing bitter way. Luffy liked how the vibrations of his laugh felt. “He didn’t sleep well alone either.”

“Roger?” Luffy asked, already knowing the answer. He listened intently whenever Rayleigh would tell stories from his own adventure, not out of any form of worship but because they were good stories that reminded him of his own crew. He had learned whenever rayleigh mentioned _him_ without elaboration it was always Roger.

“although he often crawled into my bed with less than pure intentions” Luffy could feel Rayleigh smile against his hair. “He used to joke that it was my duty as the first mate...that idiotic grin on his face” his heart hurt thinking about him but it was nostalgic, like coming home.  
Luffy giggled “you two must of been close” 

Rayleigh responded with an affirmative hum “I hope you don’t terrorize your crew like that”

“Nah, Zoro and Sanji usually kick me out of their bed, Usopp and Chopper don’t mind though. Brooks and Franky are a bit sharp but they like it”  
Rayleigh's laugh was deep and genuine, feeling vindicated on the relationship of the swordsman and cook. “I’ve seen those two bicker, they’re a real matelotage aren’t they?”

“What a mate-thingy?” Luffy tilted his head, words were never really his strong point.

“Ah it’s an old word, it’s like pirate marriage” perhaps putting it like that was a little outdated.

“Wow that sounds cool unlike regular marriage”

Oh ok, rayleigh had to bite “What are you on about?” 

Luffy remembered how Sabo had described it to him “I don’t want to be trapped with someone for money or status or whatever, I want to be free”

“Miss Hancock wouldn’t be happy to hear you talk like that.” Rayleigh had to admit he found this funny either Luffy had many misconceptions on what marriage was or he knew too much. Luffy seemed a little puzzled so it had to be the first one “do I not seem free?”

“Oh, you’re married?” the kid seemed genuinely surprised.

Rayleigh lifted his hand from under the blanket putting his hand in front of Luffy’s face “to Shakky”. Luffy looked at the two rings on his finger, he didn’t wear any other jewelry so they must have been special. One was a simple gold one that looked old and beaten, the other one silver and engraved with a floral pattern.

”you can choose who you marry you know”

“Yeah but being with one person forever doesn't sound fun”

“Then don’t be with one person, but if you love someone you might only want them.” 

“Is that what you and Shakky are like?” 

“Haha no, we have agreements, we play around with other people, I do love her, she’s tough and beautiful and I know I can always go to her if I need peace. It’s nice but we are more of an...alliance.” he had known a long time ago that their relationship was more about companionship and comfort. Also to protect the identities of two retired pirates. 

“What about Roger? You were matey-locked right?” 

“I think I could have been satisfied with only him but it was never meant to be, he was so demanding and the only one I couldn’t say no to. But he was as wild and untameable as these seas, and he had other people he loved as well, rouge for example and some others.” Rayleigh’s heart clenched at her name, it wasn’t jealousy the rivalry between them was something of a joke but the poor girl was tragic in her own right ”I could tell some very unflattering stories about old Garp.”  
  
Luffy’s yawn was interrupted “what! no” rayleigh laughed, that would end up being a vulgar tale for another time.  
Luffy turned to bury his head against Rayleigh's chest. “I wonder if my crew would marry me, I want to be with them forever”  
  
“It’s a different kind of love. Luffy. But I know that they want to share their lives with their captain…” Rayleigh twisted the rings on his finger with his thumb “You really are so much like him.” Rayleigh rubbed his hand up his back threading his fingers through the longer strands of hair at the base of his neck. Feeling the boy beside him had already drifted to sleep he shifted and waited for sleep to take him as well.

**Author's Note:**

> comments and critique welcome


End file.
